Speaking of Burgundy, the form is nothing more than the way in which its substance interfaces with those who want to visit it and, for convenience, we have exemplified it in an itinerary that, very arbitrarily, begins in Sens, the gateway to Burgundy for those coming from Paris, to gradually enter the heart of the region, where the Romanesque of the abbeys dominate and the vineyards triumph luxuriantly. 

From here towards Mâcon, and Cluny, to smell the first scents of the Midi, to end in the deep green of the Morvan.

Sens > Joigny >> Auxerre >> Vézelay >> Avallon >> Montréal >> Semur-en-Auxois >> Dijon >> La Route des Grands Crus >> Beaune >> Chalon-sur-Saône >> Tournus >> Mâcon >> Cluny >> Paray Le-Monial >> Autun >> Parc Naturel Regional du Morvan >> Nevers

SENS

Conveniently located at the confluence of the Yonne and Vanne rivers, Sens was one of the oldest cities in Gaul and one of the most important centers of Christianity. His archbishop, Primate of Gaul, presided over seven bishops, including that of Paris.

So it was that in the Cathedral of Saint-Etienne, the first in Gothic style, he celebrated. in 1234, the marriage of King St. Louis and Margaret of Provence.

Begun in 1140, it still has Romanesque accents but already soars into the "flamboyants" transepts  with great elegance. Some stained glass windows are also authentic masterpieces. Almost integrated into the cathedral, there are the Palais Synodal and the Archbishopric.

In the rooms of these buildings, which have been progressively restored, all the city's collections have been brought together, from prehistoric to Roman (the recomposition of the façade of the Roman Baths, the monumental sculptures of the Gallo-Roman era and some large mosaics are valuable).

Not to be missed, in the three rooms adjacent to the cathedral, is a visit to the precious Treasure of the Archbishops.

JOIGNY

The ancient city is a delightful agglomeration formed by concentric walls around a castle, built on the site of the fortress built by Rainard the Elder, first Count of Joigny, which, during the eleventh century, was surrounded by walls, fortified by seven towers, of which only one remains, and served as a prison until about forty years ago.

            Or the one where St. Vincent of Paola, who was tutor to the children of the Count of Joigny, stayed, or the birthplace of St. Mary Magdalene.

Particular attention should be paid to the church of Saint-Thibault (1529), with the beautiful equestrian statue of the saint above the north portal and, inside, the beautiful statue of the Virgin of the Smile, and the church of Saint-Jean, whose Renaissance vault is the masterpiece of Jean Chercau father and son.

AUXERRE

Auxerre, a historic city on the left bank of the Yonne, offers one of the most beautiful urban views in all of France. Following an old road that starts from the riverfront, you reach the cathedral of Saint-Etienne, of which the profusion of sculptures on the façade, dominated by the flamboyant Gothic-style bell tower, is impressive.

Inside, the choir and the immense stained glass windows of the twelfth century, the work of the glass masters of Troyes, are remarkable. From the ambulatory, you enter the crypt of the eleventh century, vestige of the Romanesque building that had preceded the current cathedral and famous for the fresco, also Romanesque, of the "Christ on horseback".

To the west of the Saint-Etienne square, the upper town extends, with pedestrian streets lined with old houses.

The immense astronomical clock of the fifteenth century, above one of the ancient fortified gates of the city, dominates the crowd of passers-by. among which appears the picturesque motionless profile of an old woman, all in bloom: it is the monument erected in honor of the poetess of Auxerre, Marie Noël.

In the lower part of the city, from the sea of houses in the boatmen's quarter, the old abbey of Saint-Germain emerges with its soaring Romanesque bell tower, miraculously intact, as well as the monastic buildings that gather around the cloister, in whose rooms the artistic and archaeological collections of the City Museum are ordered. Not to be missed, the visit of the extraordinary crypt set, unique in Europe, arranged around the burial place of Bishop Germano, who died in Ravenna in 448.

Characterized by narrow vaults on columns and oak beams, this Carolingian architecture is surrounded by an ambulatory adorned with the oldest known frescoes in France, in which the martyrdom of St. Stephen is depicted. Overlapping Gothic chapels, with ten-ribbed vaults, set the Carolingian crypts to the east, above the Place du Coche d'Eau.

 VÉZELAY

The distinctive feature of the city is the Basilique Ste-Madeleine, which crowns the hill with its long profile highlighted by two high towers visible from a great distance.

In the Middle Ages, the basilica was one of the main pilgrimage centers, along with Rome, Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela; and one of the four official meeting places on the streets of San Giacomo. From here, in 1190, the Third Crusade began, under the command of the kings of France and England.

The interior of the basilica is of great charm, all an advance from shadow to light, a sort of immense illustrated book with images carved in stone, under the canopy of the high vaults.

After the half-light of the narthex, dominated by the great tympanum of the central portal, one discovers the brightness of the vast nave and column after column, carved into the capitals, a whole succession of scenes taken from the Old and New Testaments and from legends of saints, allegories and simple decorated motifs. The masterpiece, among all, is undoubtedly the capital of the Mystic Mill which summarizes, in a single stone engraved by the hands of the creator of the great tympanum, the story of Eternal Salvation. The Gothic choir, drenched in light, is the newest part of the building.

 AVALLON

Surrounded by ramparts that date back to the end of the Middle Ages, the city is a succession of historic buildings, all gathered in the perimeter of the ancient castle. The most important monument in the city is the Eglise St-Lazare, a romantic collegiate church of the twelfth century dedicated to St. Lazarus. Its main attraction is the surprising portals adorned with a profusion of sculptures: from the signs of the zodiac to the activities of the months of the year, to the vine leaves, up to the scenes of the apocalypse, the artist has left, here, a real petrified firework of the sculptural art of the end of the Romanesque era.

To visit, the church built in the second half of the twelfth century, a fine example of Gothic-primitive style, with a beautiful choir and carved scenes from the Old and New Testament of 1526.

A medieval city, very well preserved, which suddenly appears to the traveler, perched on a granite spur, with its fourteenth-century circular ramparts, towers, gates and collegiate church. The most impressive access is through the Pont Joly, on the Armançon river.

One of the most important monuments and artistic richness of Semur-en-Auxois is the Eglise Notre Dame, built between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. Noteworthy, the stained glass windows that illustrate the life of St. Barbara and scenes of daily life, and the tympanum of the portal in which the salient phases of the life of St. Thomas are illustrated.

Just outside the city, a visit to the Château d'Epoisses is a must, an extraordinary complex of medieval origin, within whose moat there are towers, houses, dovecotes and other artifacts in which architectural elements ranging up to the seventeenth century are masterfully combined.

A destination not to be missed also for those with a sweet tooth, who will not miss the opportunity to taste one of the most renowned Burgundy cheeses, produced in Epoisses.

DIJON

Walking through its streets, the Eglise St-Etienne, built in the eleventh century and remodeled several times, surmounted by a characteristic lantern added in the seventeenth century, and the wonderful hôtels particuliers, ancestral palaces that notables, rich merchants, politicians, and courtmen had built, from the thirteenth century to the eighteenth century, in the district of the Palace of Justice and the Prefecture. Or the "Well of Moses", the last remaining relic of the sumptuous Charterhouse of Champmol, originally a family mausoleum built by Philip the Bold, also a victim of the wave of recklessness that accompanied the French Revolution.

This was the emblematic place where the glorious fate of the city was decided, at the time when the great and sumptuous Dukes created a cenacle of art and artists whose splendor is still tangible as you travel through the cities and villages of Burgundy.

Although nothing remains of the Holy Ducal Chapel where the prestigious order of the Toison d'Or was born,  thanks also to Philip the Good, the glory of the great Golden Age hovers everywhere.  

Musée des Beaux-Arts

The halls of the Palais des Ducs also house the very interesting Museum of Fine Arts, a living testimony of the enlightened patronage of the Dukes of Burgundy.

Of great importance are its collections of pictorial art ranging from the great Flemish and Dutch masters to the Swiss and German primitives, to modern and contemporary works, especially French. From the rooms of the museum you can access the Philippe de Bon Tower, from which you can enjoy a beautiful overall view of the city.

 Notre-Dame

A magnificent example of a Gothic church of the twelfth century, the delightful Notre-Dame stands out for its façade designed by fine arches in which there is an army of "gargoyles", jutting busts of satanic representations, an elegant nave and the bell tower surmounted by the famous Jaquemart clock.

 Musée Magnin

Housed in a sumptuous seventeenth-century patrician palace, the Musée Magnin collects precious collections of French and foreign paintings ranging from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, as well as a wide assortment of rare antique furniture.

THE ROUTE DES GRANDS CRUS

The most fascinating route to reach Beaune from Dijon follows the Route des Grand Crus, an itinerary through the most famous vineyards in the world that begins on the immediate southern outskirts of the city and continues south for about thirty kilometers, following the course of the Saône.

The vineyards, very dense, lie on gentle, low hills and wind through the municipalities of Marsannay-la-Cote, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey Saint Denis, Chambolle Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne Romanée and Nuits-St-Georges, to continue, beyond Beaune, to Meursault and Chagny.

Here the exaltation of oenology reaches the highest levels and the trained palate will be able to distinguish, from common to common, subtle differences, nuances and deep gustatory emotions.

The most prestigious wineries are housed in very well-kept historic residences that can be easily visited at times highlighted in widespread and very clear signage. Among all, at least a visit to Clos de Veugeot should not be missed, which emerges like a stone cushion from the expanse of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, formerly a winery at the time of the monks of Citeaux.

 BEAUNE

Beaune is, with good reason, the wine capital of Burgundy. Here, tasting cellars can be found everywhere, under convents and ancient walls, in the crypt of an ancient church, in the cloister of a convent or in the basement of ancient palaces.

The Hôtel-Dieu

Beaune's great masterpiece is its hospital, the famous Hospíces de Beaune whose simple façade certainly does not portend the grandeur of the interior. As soon as you cross the threshold, you are dazzled by the light of the polychrome roofs on which dormers, spires and pinnacles rise, counterpointed by the whiteness of the stone of the arches and the austere colors of the wooden loggias of the rectangular courtyard.

Built in 1443, at the behest of Philip the Good's chancellor, Nicolas Rolin and his wife Guigonne de Salins, the Hôtel-Dieu recalls the ties that united Burgundy to Flanders at the time.

Passing through the rooms of St. Hugh and St. Anne, among valuable frescoes by Isac Moillon inspired by the theme of the miracles of Jesus and paintings and tapestries illustrating the daily activities of the ancient hospital, you reach the room of St. Louis which overlooks the extraordinary vision of the polyptych of the "Last Judgment" by Roger Van der Weyden, a work with a troubled life due to the numerous nude figures and now restored to its original condition.

Musée du Vin de Bourgogne

CHALON-SUR-SAONE

In an area totally immersed in a glorious past, Chalon-sur-Saône frees itself from this scenario, imposing itself on the visitor first of all as "the city of photography". Here, in fact, Nicéphore Niepce, inventor of photography in 1816, is celebrated with a splendid museum; to which is added the presence of the only existing Kodak factory in France and, since 1986, a film festival that year after year has been establishing itself as a reference point for the new trends in European cinema.

The ancient cathedral of Saint-Vincent and its cloister, the Place Pierré Chenu, masterfully restored, and Place Saint-Vincent, an ideal place to taste a fresh and light wine from the Cóte Chalonnaise, comfortably seated on the terrace of a bar, are worth a visit.

For those who want to learn more, a visit to the "Maison des Vins de la Cóte Chalonnaise" is a must, where the best selected crus of the region are available for tasting and sale  .

TOURNUS

A medieval town characterized by an intrigue of picturesque alleys that branch off from the main street, Tournus was born as a castrense horreum for the use of the Roman legions marching on the Via Agrippa along the Saône.

The current church dates back to a later construction in 960 and is made less severe by the presence of the two carved bell towers of the twelfth century.

Inside, the play of light and shadow is very impressive from the darkness of the narthex to the central nave, illuminated by the high windows of the transverse vaults, to reach the white and smooth stone blocks of the choir built in the twelfth century. From the crypt to the cloister, passing through the Saint-Michel Chapel, the visit extends to the conventual part, towards the Gothic chapter house, the central body, the monks' refectory and their cells.

MÂCON

Considered the southern gateway to Burgundy, Mâcon is a city full of stimuli and interesting destinations, starting with the curious oval chapel of the Soufflot Residence, located in front of the eighteenth-century Hôtel de Ville and the Saint-Pierre church, a late nineteenth-century Romanesque building characterized by two stone bell towers of rare elegance.

On the Place aux Herbes you can admire the extraordinary Maison de Bois (15th century), famous for its wooden façade adorned with sculptures in which men and monkeys combine to form an imaginary bestiary.

Not far away you can visit what remains of the ancient Vieux Saint-Vincent cathedral: the narthex, the Romanesque tympanum and the two towers of the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

Then, in the Franche road, which hides some of the most beautiful courtyards in the city, you can walk along the Traboule des Arches, a testimony of ancient riches, a path back through the centuries to the Saône and the Saint-Laurent Bridge, a majestic eleventh-century building that has become the symbol of the city. Finally, a stop at the Maison des Vins is inevitable where it will be possible to marry "andouillettes", goat's cheeses and sweets with the robust wines of Mâconnais.

CLUNY

Epicenter of a monastic order that in just two centuries became the most powerful in all of France, Cluny saw the ambition and enlightened culture of its abbots materialized in the construction of the Ancienne Abbaye St-Pierre et St-Paul, who summoned the best architects, sculptors, artists and craftsmen of the time for its realization.

Also not to be overlooked is a visit to the city and the Eglise St-Marcel, from the twelfth century, inserted in the most important urban context of France in terms of the best preserved Romanesque architecture, testimony to a very high standard of life of its inhabitants.

PARAY LE-MONIAL

Like Cluny, the city was born around a Benedictine monastery and the old quarters are all huddled around the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur which was built in a very short period, between 1090 and 1110, a speed that guaranteed a rare architectural unity.

Adjacent to the basilica some eighteenth-century buildings form a cloister and a priory; the latter now houses the Charolles Ceramics Museum. A park full of charm extends at the back, until it reaches the old quarters of the city where you can visit the Tower of Saint-Nicolas, the only testimony of the ancient parish church, which later became a prison and Palace of Justice, now used as an exhibition hall.

In front of the Tower stands the Town Hall, housed in a magnificent Renaissance palace, built between 1525 and 1528, with a harmonious façade and decorated with friezes, medallions and sculptures of refined workmanship.

AUTUN

Founded by Augustus for the Aedui who then lived in Bibraete (today Mont Beuvray), its first name was Augustodunum, and the beauty of its palaces, temples, forums, theaters, amphitheaters was such that it was nicknamed "sister and emulate of Rome".

Many important vestiges of this fabulous past remain in Autun. To begin with, the city walls that extended for six kilometers, of which four and a half still remain. It was also equipped with fifty-four towers, of which many remain, round and beautiful, which can still be admired along characteristic streets. These Roman bastions opened in four points with as many gates of which two remain as a testimony to their beauty. One, the Gate d'Arroux, which opens the way to Sens and overlooks the river, still has its four arches surmounted by a gallery; the other, the door of Sant'Andrea, once transformed into a chapel, opens onto the road to the east.

A good part of the imposing theater still remains from the Roman era, second only to that of Dionysus in Athens, and the Pierre de Couhard, a  pyramid-shaped funerary monument dating back to the first century that dominates the city and the surrounding countryside.

With a leap of a millennium we then move on to the beautiful medieval cathedral of Saint-Lazare, with the admirable sculptures of characters above the entrance portal.

Another pleasant visit is to the small lapidary museum located in a solitary chapel at the end of a delightful garden. Finally, it is worth stopping to admire the painted tile roof of the old Grand Seminary, transformed into a Military School at the end of the nineteenth century.

PARC NATUREL REGIONAL DU MORVAN

In such a strongly and masterfully man-made territory, there is no shortage of an island of greenery, which has always been a precious reserve of timber for the city of Paris.

The two main centers of the park are also worth a visit, Château-Chinon, probably of Celtic origin, and Saulieu, with the beautiful basilica of St-Andoche, dating back to the twelfth century.

NEVERS

The best view of the city can be enjoyed by climbing the tower of the Cathedral of Saint-Cyr and Sainte-Julitte, from where you can read from above the evolution of the city, whose streets still follow the route of the primitive walls. The first order still surrounds the hillock on which the cathedral and the castle of the dukes are located, the center of religious and feudal power in the Middle Ages.

It is no coincidence that the most interesting traces of Nevers' past are medieval: the Porte du Croux, from the fourteenth century, now houses the city's Archaeological Museum; the majestic cathedral, with its two bell towers, one Romanesque to the west, the other Gothic to the east; the Ducal Palace built by the families of Clèves and Gonzaga, with its beautiful Renaissance façade whose sculptures tell the legend of Lohengrin,  knight of the swan, poetic ancestor of the House of Clèves.

Also of superb beauty is the Romanesque church Saint-Etienne, so quiet and secret in its gardens and walls. Finally, you cannot leave Nevers without visiting the picturesque ceramics district whose history, which has developed since the beginning of the sixteenth century, is retraced in the Municipal Museum.

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